Archive for: May 2009

Director Meher Ramesh’s Prabhas-Anushka starrer Billa is the fifth remake of 70’s Bollywood thriller Don, starring Amitabh Bachchan in the lead. After Don was released in Hindi, the film was remade in Tamil as Billa with superstar Rajinikanth in 1980. Later, the same was remade in Telugu with NTR. In 2006 and 2008, the modern version of Don was remade by Shahrukh Khan in Hindi (Don 2) and by Ajith in Tamil (Billa). Notably, all Don movies were super hits in the history of Indian cinema and Prabas’ latest Telugu film Billa may not be an exception!

Who said commercialsm has overtaken realism in Tamil cinema? Amidst the flock of  movies where the hero flex his muscles and utter punch dialogues and sings needless duets in exotic foreign locations, movies like Subramaniapuram, Paruthiveeran and Vennila Kabbadi Kuzhu  proved all hopes are not lost.

Is director Vikraman still living in Jurassic age of filmmaking? Such doubts will be created in the viewers mind after seeing Mariyadhai. It is no different from the 60’s and 70’s family tear jerker’s, the omnibus masala concoctions serving all nine rasas.

If laughter is the best medicine, then try out Guru En Aalu, which is good in parts. It has a few sparkling moments, though at times it is downright silly. The laugh- spinning line-up includes Madhavan, Vivek, M.S Bhaskar, Abbas, Mayil Sami and others.

Suriya, who proved his credentials as a versatile actor doing varied roles untill recently, has taken a litmus test of doing a mass commercial hero in ‘Ayan’. In the end, he emerges out as a clear winner leaving his impression all through the film.